New Ulm weekly review., 1887-09-28

1LclZy ud \ iiulucIcu lilS lOV1LS WIG
and innocent little baby.
By this time the night had fairly
settled down upon US, and the dark
ness, save where the dim glow OF the
fire rested, was impenetra BILE. The
thick shadows enveloped us even
where we sat, for, the fuel being poor,
we had continually to coax our fire
to burn, and were often without even
a pretence of blaze.
Suddenly lust as my companior1
was describing to me the terrible head
long rush with which the frenzied Hig-
gins had sprung upon his crouching
wife-there came piercing through the
thick wall of darkness behind US the
startlingly distinct sound of heavy
body rushing through space, and the
instant after the same sound repeat
ed, each in turn followed by dull
thud and then the noise OF heavy, un-
certain footsteps.
With a hoarse cry my companion
sprang suddenly upward, but fell
again to his knees. While clasping his
arms convulsively, yet tightly, about
my body, he fixed his eyes upon me
in one long, appealing, despairing
gaze.
I had just placed my hand upon my
shoulder to reassure him, and was
opening my lips to speak when there
| came a terrific crash, followed by to-
tai darkness, while something cold
and wet was dashed into our faces
and fell all about us. The next mo-
ment a woman's terrible cry, mingled
NIT h ho hxr'o f,,ior1, o1
through the cabin.
With another cry, almost as blood
curdling, my nountaineer sprang up,
and, ere could divine his intention,
dashed madly through the door and
into the raging storm without.
1t was truly a moment of horror,
and my first impulse was to follow
my wildly fleeing companion. But
the next moment I realized the utter
madness OF facing such storm in i'm
penetrable darkness on a preclpitous
mountain side .. -r
Feeling for my revolver I grasped it
firmly in one hand and groped nv
| way to the fireplace with the other.
1t was banked with snow!
l next felt for match in order to
strike a light, and realized with hor-
ror that the last one in my possession
had been used to start the fire. The
terrible cries and screams now omen
tarily increased, intermingled with
low means and mysterious footsteps.
Suddenly became aware that some
thing or some one was stealthily ap-
preaching the fireplace where 1 stood.
The next moment two burning eyes,
apparently fixed on me, glowed
through the darkness. That it was a
critical moment I felt in every vein
and fiber. Quick as thought Iraised
my revolver, took deliberate aim, and
fired.
| There was a sharp report, a binding
flash, human cry of agony, a. wom-
ans blood-curdling shrek again, few
low, pitiful means, then all was still
for an instant or So. -
The next moment there was the
rush OF footsteps, hoarse, maddened
crles-once more the sound OF a heavy
body passing through space. Again
! silence, and then the same low means,
intermingled with heavy sobs of pain.
Cropping my way to the corner OF
the cabin at the right of the fireplace,
climbed, by means of the chinks be.
tween the logs, as quickly as the
| darkness and my own safety would
| allow, to q long shelf had previous,
| ly noticed a. considerable distance
| above the floor and but couple oil
feet or so beneath the lott. And there
upon my left side, with my face turned
toward the room below, and revol.
yer in hand, I lay through the long
hours of the night.
| The morning light showed me dead
upon the floor a huge panther, while
a careful Investigation of the cabin
and its surroundings by the same
| light fully cleared up the mystery OF
the terrible cries and other sounds
| we had heard.
Three days later the body OF the
unfortunate mountaineer was found
some two hundred yards or more
from the cabin where it had been
completely buried in snowdrift.